2023 BMW 330e M Sport Touring review: hybrid 3 Series has hot hatch performance and estate car practicality

The BMW 330e Touring is one of those cars that simply feels right from the moment you climb into it.

Some cars take a while for their charms and quirks to be apparent but within minutes of climbing into the enveloping M Sport seats (finished in glorious Tacora red leather) and getting on the road you feel entirely at ease. 

It's not one factor or another but the combination of many small things - from a 'just right' driving position and intuitive controls to the obvious poise and slick drivetrain - that hint at why the 3 Series has been BMW's golden child for so long. 

Updates last year brought some subtle exterior changes - new-look lower trim and slimline headlights but, thankfully, the 3 Series retains a small but still very distinct version of the BMW kidney grille. Finished in Sapphire black and in the inarguably more attractive estate body style, our test car was a lesson in stealthy, understated style (even running on 19-inch machine-cut alloys).

As well as looking better, the estate is obviously more practical than the 3 Series saloon. In hybrid spec the boot is 410 litres compared with the saloon’s 375. Sadly, that is 70 litres down on regular petrol and diesel variants but it's still an easily accessible and practically designed load space. 

There is no sacrifice of passenger space in the hybrid, so there's decent rear leg and headroom but the huge transmission tunnel means it's very much only suitable for two. Up front there is acres of space and enough adjustability in the seats for drivers of all shapes and sizes to get comfortable. The interior was also refreshed in 2022, with a restyled centre console and reshaped dashboard incorporating a curved glass display with a 12.3-inch instrument screen and a 14.9-inch central touchscreen running the latest Live Cockpit software.

There is a lot going on between the two screens (plus the massive head-up display) but the latest operating system is logical, easy to navigate and heavily customisable. The 3 Series also retains the iDrive rotary controller which is still an elegant and user friendly interface that works well in combination with the touch functions. The biggest issue with the UI is the lack of proper heating controls. I don't care how many brands do it - touch controls don't work as well as proper knobs and buttons.

There's no complaint about the quality of the physical controls that do exist. There's a stereotypically Germanic solidity to everything and exactly the sort of high-end fit and finish you'd expect from one of the world's biggest premium car brands.

The 330e is the plug-in hybrid option in a range that also includes straightforward petrol and diesel versions. Using a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine and 80kW electric motor, it sits behind only the straight-six M340i and M3 in terms of power and performance. 

The 288bhp setup will get this Touring version to 62mph in 5.9 seconds and puts down its combined combustion and electric power down in a linear, virtually seamless and noiseless manner. Opt to behave more sensibly and official tests claim you'll get up to 200mpg and 37 miles of pure EV driving. In the real world, EV range is around 25 miles but normal driving should still return economy in the high-50s/low-60s as long as you keep the 12kWh battery topped up. For business buyers, the official emissions of just 35-37g/km make it a winner in the BiK tax stakes too. 

Hybrid cars miss out on the M Sport spec's adaptive damping and steering but the 330e still drives and rides brilliantly. The latest version of the 3 Series demonstrates the balance and responsiveness that helped make the model so famous. There is beautifully weighted and direct steering and an agility from the rear-driven chassis that makes it a pleasure to cover ground in, whether it's dull motorways or engaging country roads. It even rides well despite the PHEV system's weight and low-profile tyres.

The tested M Sport is the higher of the two trim levels on the 330e. It adds bigger alloys and upgraded interior materials to the regular spec, which includes  three-zone climate control, heated seats, parking sensors and the curved two-display dashboard. A standard 330e M Sport starts at just shy of £50,000 but our car demonstrated the danger of the BMW options list with £6,500 worth of extras - from a panoramic sunroof to adaptive LED headlights and painted brake calipers.

That's not exactly cheap but you are paying for the privilege of driving one of the most complete all-round cars on the market. 

BMW 330e M Sport Touring

• Price: £49,285 (£56,495 as tested)
• Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo, petrol with 80kW electric motor
• Power: 288bhp
• Torque: 310lb ft
• Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
• Top speed: 142mph
• 0-62mph: 5.9 seconds
• Economy: 201.8mpg
• CO2 emissions: 36g/km

Rivals: Audi A4 Avant, Mercedes C-Class estate, Volvo V60, Genesis GV70 Shooting Brake